Night Guardess
by Lift the Wings
Summary: When Larry's career path changed, Crystal took his old job. But she'll need his help when the inhabitants of the museum are moved to the Smithsonian. She hates the man Larry's become, but soon the old Larry starts to shine through. Larry/OC, Jed/OC
1. Night Guardess

Yeah, yeah, here's my 248357384083 story on here! I really need to finish my other ones, but whenever I see a movie I like, a story immediately pops into my head and I have to write it! So, I just saw the new Night at the Museum last night and voila, never fails; NEW STORY!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Night at the Museum or anything affiliated with it!

Chapter One: Night Guard-ess

If you told me, oh, three years ago, that I would be working as the night guard in New York's Museum of Natural History, I would say, "Okay, maybe I can see that…" But if you were to tell me three years ago that the museum I would be working in as said night guard came to life as soon as the sun set every night, well, I may call you a few choice names like 'weirdo' or 'crazy'.

But that was three years ago.

Today, I headed around the museum, wearing a pair of tight navy dress pants, a matching, short sleeved shirt, and a black belt with a Snapper flashlight and a set of keys, locking up for the night.

I tried to hide my excitement, sweeping a bit of my chestnut, layered pixie-cut hair out of my face, as I locked the front door. It was so intense, the rush of interacting with all of these characters that were supposedly immovable objects!

When I turned, Rexy stood before me, wagging his tail and silently begging me to play with him. I patted his enormous skull - let me tell you, when Larry Daley (the old night guard) first took me around for my first night of training, I almost fainted on the spot when Rexy approached. "Good boy, Rexy," I smiled, stroking him for a moment, before throwing a bone for him.

"My dearest Crystal! How are you this fine evening?"

I turned, smiling and replied, my chestnut eyes twinkling in the low light of the museum, "I'm great, Teddy. You?"

Theodore Roosevelt - 26th president of the United States - just grinned, hopping off of Texas, and kissed my hand, "I'm very well, thank you my dear." Teddy and I got along very well; he was such a major figure in history and I was almost done working on my Masters Degree in history. Obviously, we became fast friends with his love of story-telling and my love of learning. "I was just on my way to see Sacajawea, before, well… you know…," he faltered off, his bright blue eyes brimming with tears.

I heaved a heavy sigh, my heart dropping slightly in my chest, and replied, "I'm working on it. There's only so much I can do when the jerk won't answer his phone." As you may be able to tell, I was a little irritated with Larry Daley.

"Lawrence is a fine lad; he just needs to get his priorities in order," Teddy answered, though he didn't look quite as convinced as he sounded.

"Yeah, well, I've called his office forty-eight times," I sighed slightly, patting Tex as he nuzzled my hand, "and Dr. McPhee won't do anything about it either. He said 'progress is progress, Miss McKay'." I shared a smile with Teddy as I mimicked McPhee's accent.

"Cryss!"

I looked down and smiled, "Hey Jed. Octavius. Headed anywhere in particular?" They were in the remote controlled car that Larry had given them before he left. Both were smiling up at me through the windshield - did I mention Jed was the reason I didn't wear a skirt to work anymore? Try explaining that one to Dr. McPhee.

"Nope, just out for a leisurely drive," Jed replied, a tiny smirk on his equally tiny face, "thought we'd stop in and see how the Gigantorita was doing." It was funny, because - for a normal-sized person - I was only five feet tall and by no means a 'gigantorita'. I guess, though, when you're only a few inches tall, anything would seem gigantic.

I rolled my eyes but smiled, "I'm fine, thanks for asking. I'm still trying to get a hold of Larry, but it's not going so well." Just then, I remembered something. I raced over to the mini television on the front desk and turned it on. I flicked through the stations and finally found one where Larry was on, advertising his newest product (a glow-in-the-dark flashlight) with George Forman.

Teddy, Sacajawea, Attila, Ahkmenrah, Jed, and Octavius stood behind me as we watched him advertise his product. I sighed; in the little time that I had known Larry Daley, I had known him as fun-loving, and willing to do anything for those at the museum. But now, now he was just busy with his own life, forgetting about the friends he had made here.

"He won't ever be back, will he?" Sacajawea inquired disappointedly, looking worriedly up at Teddy. He smiled softly and kissed her hand, assuring her, "Nonsense, my dearest. When Crystal can talk to him, he'll be back before you know it!" He offered her his arm and they shared a loving smile, heading off toward Tex. Teddy sent me a pleading look, begging me to try and get in contact with Larry again.

You see, in two days, the inhabitants of the museum were going to be toted all the way to Washington, D.C. and put in storage for the rest of their existence. And they wouldn't even be 'awake' for any of it. I couldn't let that happen. And I wouldn't. But I couldn't do anything unless I had some sort of advantage. I was sure that Larry would be the key to that. I mean, who wouldn't listen to some hot-shot rich guy who wanted to keep the museum open? Surely he'd have some clout with Dr. McPhee?

"Lady Crystal," Ahkmenrah suggested, his wide blue eyes moving from the television to me, "perhaps you should try again? Surely those who work for Larry will put you through this time?"

I nodded, trying to swallow the lump forming in my throat as I picked up my cell phone and dialed the number again. Teddy and I had made a pact not to tell those who were leaving that they would not be coming back and that they certainly wouldn't be reanimating. It was almost as though half of my friends were dying.

I cleared my throat as the bored tone of Larry's secretary came through the other line, "This is Linda at Daley Devices. How may I help you?"

"Hello, this is…," I barely got a word in edge-wise when the secretary bitterly spat, "Miss McKay, I have given Mr. Daley every single message you've asked me to give him. It isn't my fault if he isn't responding to some silly little stalker's request to talk to him…"

"Excuse me, I'm not a silly little stalker," I answered, irritated, "I used to work with him. And it's very important that he gives me a call! It would mean a lot to him if he just knew what I needed to talk to him about."

"Why can't you just tell me what it is if it's so important?" Linda inquired, exasperated, "I'm sure if there was something specific I could tell him, you would get a call back from him."

"It's kind of… personal," I answered lamely, knowing that would never get me through to Larry. But I couldn't really tell his secretary that all of our part-time inanimate friends were going to be put away in storage and wouldn't come back to life anymore, right?

"And you're telling me you're not a stalker?" Linda questioned mockingly, before replying, "don't worry, I'll tell Mr. Daley you called… again…"

I hung up the phone and looked down at Jed and Octavius, shaking my head slightly, "All they think is that I'm stalking Larry… I doubt he's ever going to get my messages…"

"Don't worry, m'lady," Octavius smiled reassuringly, "you will talk to Larry and we shall get this whole thing sorted out."

"Thanks," I smiled, "I hope you're right." Suddenly, something bumped into my leg and I turned, finding my, well, I guess you could say pet. The wolf from _Dances with Wolves_, Two Socks - a large, playful gray wolf with white front legs - sat patiently at my feet, staring up at me with large amber eyes.

Again, I felt myself tearing up… Two Socks would be one of the exhibits leaving the museum and being stored away forever. I reached down and petted him, stroking his thick gray fur. His tail wagged happily in response; he had no idea what was going on with the museum.

"Come with me, Lady Crystal," Ahkmenrah said gently, smiling slightly, "I believe that Attila wanted to discuss something with you." He offered me his arm and I accepted it, smiling in thanks.

We headed off toward Attila's exhibit, Two Socks hot on our heels, as well as Jed and Octavius. There had to be a way to keep them here. I mean, sure I would have Ahkmenrah and Teddy with me, but everyone else was leaving. It would never be the same. And it was heartbreaking to think that Teddy and Sacajawea would be torn apart from each other. Especially since it took so long for them to meet in the first place.

"I just really hope Larry answers his messages this time," I frowned, "because you can't tell me you wouldn't be the slightest bit curious if someone called your office forty eight…"

"Forty-nine," Jed put in.

"Forty nine times," I finished, "hopefully he recognizes my name…"

Ahkmenrah just patted my hand and Two Socks nudged my leg again. I smiled, deciding to enjoy the second-to-last night at the museum while it lasted.

_**Soooo what do you all think?? Please review! :D**_


	2. The Return of Larry Daley

Wow! Believe it or not I was surprised by the positive responses to this story! I didn't expect 10 for the first chappie alone! :D Well, let us continue on with the journey! I just saw the movie again last night, so yay! Oh, and I must warn you all this _does_ go into the second Night at the Museum, so there ARE spoilers! Wow, thanks for so many reviews! XD

**P.S. I'll be updating my Twilight story tomorrow, if anyone was wondering about that lol!!**

Disclaimer: I do not own _Night at the Museum_! If I did, well, that'd be - to quote Larry from the first one "freakin' awesome!" Responses to reviews are at the bottom :D

Chapter Two: The Return of Larry Daley

"_Forty nine times," I finished, "hopefully he recognizes my name…"_

_Ahkmenrah just patted my hand and Two Socks nudged my leg again. I smiled, deciding to enjoy the second-to-last night at the museum while it lasted. _

After no news from Larry - I called his office five times today, on the verge of hysteria - I walked into the museum, defeated. I started, hearing voices near Teddy and Tex. I looked over, surprised, and saw Dr. McPhee showing a man in a nice business suit the new, electronic Teddy exhibit. I stuck my tongue out at it from behind, sneering as I thought of how it was the reason we were getting rid of the others in the museum.

"Miss McKay," Dr. McPhee called, his voice sounded a bit on edge as he continually glanced over at the man.

I panicked for a minute, thinking he saw me making faces and - knowing him, he would assume I did them at him. I laughed slightly as I thought of the look on his face if I really did do that… good times…

"McKay?" the man echoed, turning around, his eyebrows raised in surprise. His eyes flashed in recognition and he grinned, "Oh, yeah, I remember you! How have you been, Crystal?"

"Fine, Mr. Daley," I answered, smiling tightly, "what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in a meeting or something?"

"No, no, I don't have anymore meetings today," Larry answered, grinning slightly, shaking his head slightly, "and don't call me 'Mr. Daley'," he made a weirded out face, "having a friend call me that makes me feel… weird…"

I smiled slightly, falsely, wanting no more than to roll my eyes at his 'friend' comment. I was surprised that he even remembered my name, let alone considered me a friend. If I was really his friend, he would have called me back after the first phone call.

"Well, I'll let you two at it," Dr. McPhee stated, a frown on his face as he moved to the door and headed out. I watched him go, a frown on my own face.

He had tried to save the museum, really he did, but… he had given up. He did what he could but, like me, he had no clout in what went on. The board decided to change the museum, and that was that to them. Nothing McPhee or I could do would change that.

The silence was ringing as I cast a glance at the clock wall. _Darn it; still twenty minutes until the sun goes down_, I thought with a heavy sigh.

"Hey, look Crystal, I'm sorry I never got a chance to call you," Larry said with a sigh, giving me the most apologetic look imaginable, "I know you called my office a few times…"

"Fifty-four times, actually," I answered, walking over to the front counter and hopping up onto it, watching his face fall in surprise, "I had a feeling after that many calls you would have tried to find out what I wanted…"

"I didn't realize… fifty-four times, _really_?… I mean, I didn't mean to forget to call you," he sighed, walking over to me and hopping up on the counter beside me, slumping forward so his elbows rested on his knees, "it's just, I've been really busy and I've got a Walmart meeting in the morning," he turned to me, hoping the look on his face was enough to convey the importance of it, "_Walmart_… if I get my stuff in there…" he drifted off slightly, still frowning on concern.

"It's okay, Larry," I answered, looking around at the multitude of boxes around us, boxes that contained our mutual friends, "I mean, it's got to be hard, doing what you do now. But that doesn't mean you can just abandon your friends, especially with what's about to happen now anyway..." Wow, I felt extremely bitchy. Believe me; I wasn't normally so rude, but I couldn't understand how it had taken him so long to come to the museum and find out what was going on.

Larry just frowned at me and I hopped off of the desk. The sun set and the boxes instantly opened as their occupants climbed out. Teddy rode down to meet Larry and I. Larry, I noted with a turn, was playing with Rexy, with a huge rope.

"You've brought him, Crystal, I knew you could do it!" Teddy grinned, dismounting Tex and hugging me. I smiled slightly, shrugging, "He came on his own. I don't think he knows the extent of it; I didn't get a chance to tell him."

"Hey Teddy!" Larry grinned, heading over to us and shaking Teddy's hand, after climbing off of the blankets Rexy had thrown him onto.

"Good to see you, lad!" Teddy grinned, "look at you! You've finally got the life you wanted!"

"Yeah," Larry grinned, though he sounded less than enthused, "how've you been, Teddy?" I watched him, confused; why wasn't he happy with his life then? I had figured he had what he wanted, that he was doing what he truly loved. Obviously I was wrong.

But then, why do something you hate? There are so many possibilities in the world; why settle for something less than your dream job?

"Well, I must say I've been better, Lawrence," Teddy said with a sigh. Larry sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I heard. You guys are getting transferred to the Smithsonian. But think about it, you're going to be in the Big Leagues now…"

I bit my lip; really, I should tell him that not all of them are going, and that they wouldn't be coming to life anymore. "Larry," I said, causing him to look over at me with a slight smile, "Hm?"

"There's something…," but I was cut off by his cell phone going off. A few years ago, he never would have answered it in the middle of a conversation, but now he held up a finger and answered the text. I exchanged annoyed looks with Teddy, Sacajawea, and Ahkmenrah.

"Sorry," he said, putting his phone away, "what were you saying? Cryss?"

"I believe she was going to tell you that we aren't all going to be together, Lawrence," Teddy replied, "you've been away so long that you haven't been able to hear the news." I gave him a grateful, yet terribly sad smile, to which he gently returned.

"Hey! Let us out of here!"

Larry turned and headed over to a smaller box where Jed, Octavius, and the other miniatures were packed away. He lifted the lid, grinning and greeting them.

"Well, well, Gigantorita," Jed turned to me, impressed, "looks like you did it. Didn't think we'd see you again, Gigantor," he turned to Larry, hands on his holsters, an irritated glare on his face.

"I know it's been a while," Larry said, sighing apologetically, "I'm really sorry, guys, it's just…"

"Decided to take a little time away from your big, important job just to see us off?" Jed continued, ignoring Larry's apology just to rub it in his face a little more. I guess Jed and I were alike in the respect that we both blamed Larry for what was happening. Jed continued with the idea, "You were the only one who could speak up for us."

"What? No; Cryss was here," Larry sputtered, pointing at me. I raised my eyebrows and held my hands up in defense, "A little back-up was all I was asking for, Larry. If _both _of us would have been here to talk to McPhee, neither of us would sound _quite_ so crazy."

"Well, even the glory of Rome did not last," Octavius said melodramatically, staring off into the 'distance'. Larry followed his gaze and stated, "Please don't look off into the middle distance; it makes me feel worse."

"It all must come to an end now, Larry," Octavius said, keeping his eyes unfocused and staring off.

I laughed slightly at their antics as Larry continued, "What are you looking at?" He waved his hands in front of Octavius, who just looked at him, stating innocently, "Just a spare bit of wall there…"

"This is all your…," Jed began, before Teddy cut him off with a stern, "Enough Jedidiah. This is our last night together as a family," he mounted Tex, helping Sacajawea up behind him, "Let's take a tour of the museum together, one last time."

He led the way, followed by Attila and his men, the cavemen, Ahkmenrah, and most of the animals. Jed and Octavius were going to stay where they were, Jed claiming that he wanted to "squander in self-pity". Two Socks looked up at me quizzically and I nodded, smiling, "Let's go, boy."

We walked past Larry, who, after a moment's thought, fell in step beside me. Two Socks immediately stopped and got into a defensive position in front of me, growling and snarling at Larry. Okay, maybe he did understand what was going on more than I thought. Larry, startled, let out a yell and jumped back.

"Two Socks, bad," I scolded the snarling wolf - honestly, he was just like a big dog. A vicious, wild big dog (when the need called for it). The wolf cast an almost curious look up at me but sat back on his haunches as I looked at Larry, trying to hide my amusement as he tried to recover from his embarrassment.

"You okay?" I inquired, biting back a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he straightened his suit jacket, casting Two Socks a wary glance, "why is it that everyone in this museum seems to hate me? I mean, I haven't done anything… I'm no different than I used to be," he finished resolutely.

I smiled apologetically and replied, "Actually, Larry, you are." He gave me a confused, concerned look and I continued, "Larry, you used to be fun and energetic; you would do anything for these guys…"

"I still would," he said defensively, "I'm going to call the board in the morning and get this whole thing taken care of."

"I know," I reassured him, "but I think it's a little too late for that. You _have_ changed; you're all about Daley Devices and that's good for your company - they need a boss like that. But everyone here at this museum needed your help months ago and you weren't there. They go to talk to you now and…" His cell phone interrupted me and he apologized, whipping it out and responding to the text. I bit back a nasty retort and just stated tiredly, "You know what, Larry, never mind." I patted my leg, looking down at Two Socks, and hurried after the others.

NIGHTATTHEMUSEUMNIGHTATTHEMUSEUM

The rest of the night went by smoothly, aside from the few times Larry had to stop whatever he was doing - be it the kickball game we were all playing or the karaoke party closer to dawn - and answer his cell phone.

I was torn. I was still extremely upset with Larry for forgetting about all of us at the museum and for the way he had become more self-absorbed than he was before. And yet, I could tell that the real Larry was still there, waiting to be let out. I saw a little bit of the old Larry throughout the night, smiling and laughing and just having fun. Just like he used to.

As dawn approached, we helped everyone back into their boxes and crates in the main lobby. Teddy kissed Sacajawea's hand and headed toward Tex, the two of us following him.

"Where's your crate, Teddy?" Larry asked, looking around. He absently scratched Two Socks's head, to which the gray wolf growled slightly. Needless to say, he immediately removed his hand.

"Alas," Teddy laughed, though he was by no means amused, "it seems that I am not going to be making this journey."

Larry's brow furrowed in concern and I sighed, "Some of the more popular exhibits are staying here. Like Rexy, Ahkmenrah, Teddy…" Larry shot me an accusatory look, as if to say, 'why didn't you tell me this earlier?'

"But they'll be taking the tablet…," Larry's confusion turned into full on concern as he looked between Teddy and I.

"Wrong again," Teddy smiled sadly, "the tablet will be staying here, along with Ahkmenrah," he shot a heart wrenching look to Sacajawea, causing her to smile and blow him a kiss. He mimicked her actions and turned to Larry and I again, "This night is their last."

"You didn't tell them," Larry stated, though it wasn't a question. His bright blue eyes flickered to me and I breathed an uneven, emotional sigh.

"It was for the best," I replied, though I know I didn't sound half as convinced as I wanted to sound. Teddy picked up from there, sounding much more convinced than I did, "Sometimes it's better to tell a harmless white lie than the harsh truth."

He mounted Tex, his eyes watery and red, though he remained optimistic and smiling. It broke my heart to see his breaking and I could tell Larry was upset by the turn of events.

"Remember, Lawrence, the key to happiness, to _true _happiness…"

Again, Larry's cell phone went off at the most inopportune time and he answered the text, muttering excuses about some Japanese deal. He shoved his phone back in his belt and looked up at Teddy, grinning, "Okay, the key to happiness…" But Teddy was frozen again, now the lifeless wax figure that he always was during the day. Larry slumped, dejected, before turning to me.

I knelt down to the floor, my eyes welling up with tears as I stroked Two Socks's coarse fur. He was frozen as well, laying at my feet like a loyal guard dog. I sniffled a few times, wiping away the tears vigorously. This was the last time I would see half of my friends and it tore me to shreds.

"Hey, don't worry," Larry knelt down and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, giving me a reassuring half-smile, "I'll take care of this. These guys won't be leaving the museum any time soon."

I wiped my eyes once more and replied with a slightly bitter, slightly hopeful laugh, "I hope you're right, Larry."

He gave me a charming grin and replied, "Of course I am. Now, let's get this fella back into the box." He and I lifted Two Socks and carried him over to his crate. We set him down and I gently closed the lid.

He knocked slightly on the top of the box, grinning, "I like this guy better like this; at least he isn't trying to bite me anymore."

I rolled my eyes but smiled and said, following him out of the building, "Let me know the _minute_ you hear something, okay?"

"Right…, um, what's your phone number?" he inquired, searching his pockets for a pen, "I mean, that didn't come out the way I wanted… where should I call to get in touch with you? Because I'm not just going to be calling you… not that I _wouldn't_ call you… but… uh…"

"Here," I handed him a slip of paper with my name and number, before looking at him and smiling, stating teasingly, "Now if I call you…"

"I promise I'll call you back," he grinned slightly, before we parted ways in front of the museum.

I frowned when I noticed the museum's large semi truck pulling up outside of the building. He would have to pull some strings pretty quickly if we were going to make a difference.

_**Well, I hope you all enjoyed!! Now, since I don't have a script and my memory's not **_**that**_** good, I can't write the exact dialogue from the movie. But I hope you all liked it! Please review!**_

_**SBMFanatic: **__Thanks! I think the second one may be better than the first! I just wish Teddy was in it more :/ I'm glad you like it so far!; __**jedluver5:**__ Thanks! I'm so glad you think that! I hope you liked this chapter too!; __**justanothergaarafangurl: **__lol yeah that would be super hard to tell someone! I hope you enjoyed this chappie too and trust me, there will be much more Jed/OC later on (with a different OC of course cuz that'd be a little awkward since she's so much bigger than he is XD); __**LiZ-RoX:**__ Thank you so much! I didn't know if anyone would really want to read one but I couldn't stop thinking about ideas for it! I'm glad you liked it! I hope you enjoy this chappie!; __**Ella Ynrihan: **__Thank you so much! I definitely plan on continuing :D Jed's is going to get his own person, yeah. I kind of thought that he and Larry could both like her but I really just want Jed to get his own person! So she's going to be at the Smithsonian in storage too! And I'll definitely drop you a line about ideas :D; __**-my-forgotten-rose-: **__Haha yeah, I recommend seeing it cuz I really liked it!; __**TwilightEclps: **__Thanks so much! It was a good movie :D; __**LittleFireQueen: **__Thanks so much! I really liked it too! And I hope you like this chappie too! Thanks for saying they were in character :D ; __**wiilover432:**__ Thank you so much!! I'm so glad you liked it!; __**Lady Andrya: **__Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it! Haha yeah, I could just picture Jed being pervy about the skirt lololol!: __**thunderyoshi:**__ I'm so glad you liked it! I hope you enjoy this story! I hope you do!: __**Liz:**__ Thanks! Lol, well that was my plan, but I want to make him much nicer than he came across in the movie! __**sotnosen93: **__Thank you so much! Did you like the movie?? I hope so because I really did! I hope you enjoy this story too! _


	3. Trippy

Sorry it's been a while since I updated! Life (i.e. college, writing a book, etc) has been getting in the way lol! Please forgive mee!!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Night at the Museum!!_ I wish I did, cuz that'd be pretty sweet!!

Chapter Three: Trippy

"_I promise I'll call back," he grinned slightly, before we parted ways in front of the museum. _

_I frowned when I noticed the museum's large semi truck pulling up outside of the building. He would have to pull some strings pretty quickly if we were going to make a difference._

I waited all day for some news from Larry. I knew it would take him a while to figure things out and get things done, but I was on edge all afternoon. Finally, as the afternoon began to come to a close, my cell phone burst into the sound of _Take Me Out_, by Franz Ferdinand.

I hurriedly answered it, "Hello? Larry?"

"Crystal, hey," his greeting was rather less than enthusiastic and I knew immediately that things had gone completely wrong, "uh, sorry I didn't call you a little earlier, but I didn't want to upset you."

"I take it things didn't go as well as we'd hoped, huh?" I inquired, sighing slightly, "no luck at all, then?" I plopped down on my couch, jotting down notes on possible ways to save them all at the museum. So far, my plans were radical and highly unlikely. I mean, I couldn't just walk into the Smithsonian and right back out ag…, "Larry; I think I have an idea."

***

I sighed as I locked the museum's doors that night, decidedly pouty. Larry had thought my idea was ridiculous. I mean, we could have just waltzed right in if we wanted to. There was security, but not much. They checked purses. That's it. And it isn't like we'd bring a weapon in. We'd just… walk in. Do a little espionage. You know, the works.

But no. I was on my own about _that_ idea.

The sun was beginning to set and I couldn't help the empty feeling that settled over me as I thought of how many friends wouldn't be here anymore. I looked over at Rexy, expecting the huge tyrannosaurus to be wagging his tail excitedly, waiting for me to play with him. But, as the sun sank completely, there was no movement from the skeleton.

Concerned, I then turned to Teddy, wondering why he wasn't leading Tex over to me to have a chat about the Panama Canal or the Bull Moose Party. He wasn't moving. As I listened carefully, I noticed anxiously that there was not a single sound of life throughout the museum.

I took off down the hallway, through the museum, and into Ahkmenrah's tomb. There, above his silent, still sarcophagus was the place where his tablet _should_ have been. But it was gone. Taken. Terrified, I thought for a moment that maybe it was the old night guards, the ones Larry had warned me about.

Suddenly, though, I could hear shouting from the front lobby. Relieved, I figured it was Teddy, trying to find where I was… But wait, the tablet was MIA…

As I raced toward the second floor balcony that overlooked the lobby, I noticed Larry looking around in dismay, his brow furrowed as he called my name once more.

"Larry, what are you doing here?" I inquired, jogging down the steps, a perplexed frown tugging on my lips, "what's going on? Why aren't the exhibits coming to life?"

"Dex stole it and it's currently in the Smithsonian's storage," Larry grabbed my arm, flicking the lights off and pulling me toward the door, "everything in the biggest museum in the world is alive…"

"That's incredible!" I stated, stumbling at the impact of his words, though he managed to keep me upright. He paused, though, at my words, and turned to shoot me an incredulous look.

"What?" I defended myself as we moved to his waiting SUV, "so sue me, I love history. Do you know what kinda stuff they have in there? It's amazing!"

"Yeah, they have Ahkmenrah's older brother; he's trying to kill our friends," Larry stated tersely, moving to the passenger door and holding it open for me, "which is why you and I are going to D.C."

"What about the museum?" I inquired, jerking my head toward the now darkened building, "McPhee's gonna kill me when he finds out that I'm not there in the morning."

"Just let me deal with him, then," Larry replied, gesturing for me to climb into the vehicle.

Buckling my seatbelt, I nodded, watching as he jogged around to the driver's side and climbed in, "As a grad student and an underpaid security guard, you _are _buying my ticket right?" My question was completed by an innocent, wide-eyed smile.

Larry regarded me curiously, before rolling his eyes and pulling away from the museum, "Yeah, sure."

Leaning back in my seat, I couldn't help but let a small, triumphant grin cross my face. And, catching a glimpse of movement in the back seat, I zipped my lips to the small figure, earning a grin in response.

***

Well, let's just say that Larry wasn't too happy about Nicky being in the vehicle when we reached the airport. He said it was no place for a kid and that things would get incredibly dangerous; he didn't want to have to worry about protecting two people now as opposed to just me. Which, in turn, earned the silent treatment from both his own son and me – how dare he assume that I couldn't handle myself? I had enough training, thank you very much…

We reached the nation's capital by mid-afternoon the next day, seeing as our flight had left rather late the night before. Smiling, I took in the lovely sight of the blooming cherry blossoms lining the sidewalks, the tall, eye-catching monuments… I forgot how much I loved it there.

"All right, so what's the plan guys?" Larry inquired, clapping his hands together in a 'let's get down to business' way, grinning broadly.

"You do know how many museums there _are_ in the Smithsonian, right?" I inquired dryly, raising an eyebrow as I ignored the fact that I had sworn not to talk to Larry. Nicky seemed to be better at keeping with that than I was.

"Yep," the ex-guard replied cheerily, nodding toward the nearest building, the art museum, "and for now, we're just a family of tourists visiting the nation's biggest museum, 'kay?"

"Sorry, Nicky, but I didn't think I looked old enough to be your mom," I gave the young boy a sarcastic smile, knowing he would appreciate my jab at his father's words, before leading the two into the art museum. Admiring my favorite part of the entire building – the large, dark green marble pillars in the front entrance – I almost cracked a smile as Larry tried to make up for his inadvertently rude comment.

"Crys, I'm sorry… I didn't mean that you looked old or anything…," he stumbled over his words, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment, "cuz you don't… you're young and pretty and…"

"Dad, let's just get on with the scouting, alright?" Nicky inquired, giving his father an imploring look as we began to roam the enormous museum. Thank God; that had been embarrassing…

The sun was nearing the horizon by the time we walked into the Smithsonian's castle. We had done a quick walk-through of the biggest buildings, including the Air and Space museum and the American History one. Though our time in each building was short, I was in heaven.

We stopped walking when we reached the center of the castle. The room before us was quite large, each exhibit spaced out evenly, with one large, black structure in the center. Nicky had informed us that this was Kamunrah's gate to the underworld. Fantastic.

"Okay," Larry commented, stopping us and noticing a single guard not too far off. He was around my age, if not a bit younger, and he seemed bored out of his mind. A few moments of silence on Larry's part and he seemed to come up with a plan; "Alright, I'm gonna go in there, cause a scene, and get his security pass. You two just… stay here…"

Before either of us could protest, Larry was strolling casually toward the gateway. Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms, unamused by his controlling nature over the current situation. The exhibits from our museum meant just as much to me as they did to him, if not more.

But, as I kept an ear on the conversation now taking place between Larry and the other guard, I roamed the hallway, taking in each exhibit with interest. There was a picture of a young Al Capone, and I had to say, he looked much better than he did later on in his life…

"This is taking way too long, Crys," Nicky complained, looking up at me with those big, innocent chocolate eyes, "can't you do something?"

"Like what?" I inquired, not unkindly. I began to formulate any plan that might be able to help Larry get the security pass from this weirdo guard. Smirking suddenly at my inspiration, I replied, hiking my mid-thigh length skirt slightly so more of my legs were showing, "Be right back…"

Fluffing up my hair and tugging my shirt down just enough to pique this guy's interest, I took a deep breath. In all actuality, I sucked at flirting, but this guy seemed like he didn't get many girls flirting with him, so it was all good.

In the middle of his comment to Larry about renting a camper and keeping his flashlight on Larry's chest, I stepped between them, seemingly oblivious to their conflict as I regarded the gateway with interest.

Neither man said anything, though I certainly felt a pair of eyes on me… or two… I sent Larry a sideways glance, recapturing his attention from my altered outfit with a 'play along' expression on my face.

"Wow, this is really neat," I commented in a bubbly voice, leaning over the rope to get a closer glance at the indiscernible hieroglyphics, "I wonder what it says!"

"Well, y'know, I took a course on Ancient Egypt in high school…"

I turned to the guard, who had puffed out his chest, grinning down at me with a goofy, eager expression. Pulling a shocked face, I gasped, "No! So you could tell me what this one means?" I reached out and touched a random symbol, hoping to push his buttons.

"Woah, lady, even though you're hot, I'm gonna have to make you and Mr. Touchy over here leave the building immediately," he exclaimed suddenly, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the structure. He seemed a bit more excited about manhandling me than I was comfortable with, but I served my purpose well.

It was then that Larry put his plan into action. He grabbed the kid in some sort of flashlight-accompanied headlock and began muttering some random garbage to keep him preoccupied as I slipped the card from "Brundon's" belt.

When Larry released him and they hugged each other, apologizing for the shared animosity, he sent me an almost unnoticeable wink. He then headed out of the room and into the hallway where Nicky had been watching, thoroughly amused.

"Sorry about that, sweetcheeks," Brandon (I refused to acknowledge him as _Brundon_) grinned down at me, placing a hand on Kamunrah's gateway and leaning in what he hoped to be a casual, flirtatious stance.

I almost gagged. Instead, I simply giggled, batting my eyelashes in what I knew was an attractive way, before digging into my purse, dropping the security card safely into my wallet, replying, "Oh no, don't worry about it! You're just doing your job… I love a man in uniform…" I quickly scribbled down a few digits and handed the sheet of paper to him, "Call me anytime, big guy."

With that, I hurried away from him, afraid that I might start laughing if I turned around. Larry and Nicky were looking away as well, strolling casually ahead so we wouldn't seem suspicious in meeting up together.

When we had escaped Brandon's sight, the three of us immediately began laughing, overjoyed about our triumph. Straightening my skirt and returning my shirt to its normal position, I snorted when Nicky teased, "Big guy? Ew, that was just gross, Crys… I don't even want to think about that…"

Larry muttered something under his breath, and, though I didn't catch it all, I did hear something about the 'man in uniform' comment. Hey, it was true; guys in uniforms looked ten times hotter… "I can't believe you actually gave him your number," Larry chuckled, loud enough for me to properly hear him this time. Shaking his head in surprise, his sky blue eyes twinkled with some indistinguishable emotion as he spoke.

"Hmm, I didn't," I answered, whipping out the security pass and handing it to him with an impish grin, "I gave him yours."

_**Again, I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever! Readers, I hope you're still out there and I promise, the Jed/OC will be coming soon enough! The other OC will probably be introduced in the next chapter… So, I think I'm still gonna have Amelia after Larry and then maybe Al Capone after Crystal to make the other jealous… Cuz yes, it IS Larry/OC eventually… Please review!!**_

_**Thunderyoshi: **__Aw I know me too! That's so sad; Robin Williams is such a good actor, he really brings out the emotion! Glad you liked it!; __**Superdani aka VioletFairchild:**__ Thanks!! Don't worry; it's coming! I still haven't decided what her miniature diorama is gonna be though yet!; __**Aurora528:**__ Thanks so much! He's mine too and I wish there were more stories with him in it!! Yes, I took your advice and brought Nicky along with them cuz I just thought the same thing as you!; __**Ladycat21201:**__ Thanks so much!; __**Ella Ynrihan:**__ Aw thanks! I'm so glad you liked it and I would be interested in reading your NatM fic!!; __**Leanwannabe479:**__ I agree! I loved it! I'm so glad you like it and I hope everything worked out!; __**TwilightEclps: **__I know me too! =( I hope you liked this chappie!; __**sotnosen93:**__ That sound really good! I would like to see something other than Jed/Octavius cuz really, that just creeps me out lol!; __**jedluver5:**__ Thanks so much! Sorry it took so long to update and I promise there'll be Jed's OC in the next chapter!!; __**livingstorywriter101:**__ Thanks so much! I'm sorry it took so long to update!; __**Kayy:**__ Thanks!; __**BrooklynHiggans63: **__Thanks so much!; __**JenCarpeDiem:**__ Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!!; __**Miss Kaelyn Marie Lorne: **__Here ya go! =) ; __**Pixie: **__Thanks so much! I'm sorry it took forever to update!; __**Senri Shiki Fan:**__ Thanks! I'm sorry it made you sad! I didn't mean for it to!; __**YANIsweetness7:**__ Thanks so much!; __**kiralol101:**__ I'm sorry it took so long but I'm glad you liked it!; __**Danforth's Child: **__Thanks so much!; __**Mistfire:**__ Thanks! I love him too and yes, he'll still get trapped! Can't take that out lol! And maybe his OC's gonna get trapped with him too! Lol…; __**XxDyingxToxLivexX: **__Thanks so much!; __**Bloody Midnight: **__Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!_


	4. News

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been super busy with work and writing my own novels. Speaking of, I need to do a little self-promotion! I have written and published an ebook on Kindle called Running. It's a paranormal romance set in Gettysburg, PA. The main character is a medium on the run from killers who she helped put behind bars. If you like my style and want to help support a fledgling author, please check out Amazon and search for the author Cara McKay and the title "Running". It will soon be available for Nooks and other e-readers. Please check it out and let me know how you like it! I'll put the URL on my homepage for those who want it =D

And hopefully I can update this soon!

Thanks a bunch!

~Lift the Wings


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